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Mineral Specimens with Spessartine
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7.9 x 6.9 x 2.9 cm. The contrasting matrix here is sprinkled with dozens of extremely bright, glassy and gemmy spessartine garnets. Rather than being massed together as is familiar on these Tongbei specimens, this is from a batch with isolated crystals, which adds a lot to the beauty.
6.6 x 6.1 x 4.8 cm. This Tongbei specimen is truly a cut above...as with some other specimens from here, there are quartz crystals with spessartines growing on the sides. But where some smokies from Tongbei can be almost opaque, these have a rare, almost SWISS gemminess to them - making the specimen really stand out from what you normally see. The most common thing you see from here is the plates of massed spessartines with small smokies poking up here and there. This is certainly an exception in many ways!
5.3 x 3.8 x 3.4 cm. A deep red, intensely gemmy spessartine garnet, measuring 1.5 cm, sits right next to a snowy white crystal of orthoclase, surrounded by silvery, bladed muscovite. The lower part of the spessartine has a natural contact where it grew against matrix or another crystal, but it is complete.
8.4 x 6.6 x 3.2 cm. Gemmy, bright orange spessartine garnets decorate the sides of two frosty, prismatic quartz crystals in a "V" form. The larger crystal is terminated, the smaller is not.
7.9 x 4.6 x 2.6 cm. Unusually large spessartines for Tongbei, to one centimeter, of gemmy wine-red color.
8.2 x 6.6 x 2.6 cm. From a batch of Tongbei spessartines we got that are distinguished by having the gemmy, bright orange-red crystals ISOLATED on the matrix rather than massed together - which gives these a really distinctive and aesthetic appearance. You can also see some little grey muscovite books on the feldspar matrix.
8.4 x 6.9 x 5.5 cm. A whopper spessartine garnet crystal, measuring 2.3 cm, is nestled in a cluster of large, euhedral crystals of albite. The spessartine is a fine wine-red, with intense glassy luster and very sharp faces. A tube-like book of layered muscovite crystals is on one side of the spessartine. It is quite uncommon to find good spessartines of this size!
4.6 x 4.1 x 2.3 cm. Of all the Tongbei spessartine specimens you have seen over the past few years, have you seen a single one where the spessartines are intermixed with FLUORITE crystals? This is an exceptionally rare combo piece. The fluorites are colorless, and octahedral in form.
6.9 x 6.7 x 4.2 cm. The feldspar matrix here is completely covered all around with sparkling, red-orange spessartine garnets! It was a shard that came loose in the pocket, allowing crystals to form all over it. Even the two edges that were once connected in the pocket have a thin layer of tiny crystals, which grew after this piece of the matrix ridge came loose in the pocket. The garnets have a super gloss to them, and the whole piece really glitters!
7.0 x 6.7 x 3.0 cm. These new Spessartines are some of the most attractive and highly displayable specimens to come out of China in the last few years. This particular piece features several lustrous, gemmy, reddish-orange trapezohedra measuring up to 9 mm, which is rather large for this locality. They are associated with lustrous, gem quality Smoky Quartz crystals and Muscovite "books" on cream colored Feldspar matrix. There is actually a small Pyrite cube on the end of the specimen for a great touch. The color in these Spessartine crystals is a rich orange hue (due to nearly pure Manganese content) and are very attractive. They are not at all dull or pitted. This material is becoming less and less available on the market, and keep in mind that there are only a few worldwide localities that produce this color of Spessartine in fine specimens. Bright orange Spessartine specimens are NOT easy to find these days from any locality.
17.8 x 10.6 x 4.9 cm. Large plate of gorgeous gemmy orange spessartine garnets on smoky quartz, with no damage except to the bottom periphery and one spot on the right most edge. For the size, the quality of the garnets is unusually good and the quality overall unusually high. Ex. Charlie Key Collection.
4.3 x 2.7 x 2.2 cm. A rare piece, on matrix no less, form early 1980s finds at this remote locality. Spessartine from Marienfluss is hard to obtain. Ex. Charlie Key Collection.
5.8 x 5.1 x 2.2 cm. These new Spessartines are some of the most attractive and highly displayable specimens to come out of China in the last few years. This particular piece features several lustrous, gemmy, reddish-orange trapezohedra modified by dodecahedra measuring up to 5 mm associated with greenish Muscovite on Orthoclase matrix. The color in these crystals is a rich orange hue (due to nearly pure Manganese content) and are very attractive. They are not at all dull or pitted. This material is becoming less and less available on the market, and keep in mind that there are only a few worldwide localities that produce this color of Spessartine in fine specimens. Bright orange Spessartine specimens are NOT easy to find these days from any locality.
1.6 x 1.2 x 0.9 cm. Helvite is not well known and is rarely found from Tongbei, China, which has become very famous for its spessartine. This near floater specimen is a really large helvite crystal with sharp octahedral faces, and well-defined edges. The gemmy, orange spessartines are a beautiful accent. This small, recent find caused quite a stir.
Brilliantly spessartine-orange garnets from the famous early 1980s find at Marienfluss! Almost all were found loose and although this isn't the gemmiest of them, its on matrix...something almost unhear dof for the find! This locality is long sinc edefunct. 3.8 x 3.0 x 2.1 cm
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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share specimen![Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-121704a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-121704a.jpg)
![Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-121705a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-121705a.jpg)
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![Spessartine, Quartz from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-121729a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-121729a.jpg)
![Spessartine, Quartz from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-121729b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-121729b.jpg)
![Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-121939a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-121939a.jpg)
![Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-121939b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-121939b.jpg)
![Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-121956a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-121956a.jpg)
![Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-121956b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-121956b.jpg)
![Spessartine, Albite from Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-121964a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-121964a.jpg)
![Spessartine, Albite from Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-121964b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-121964b.jpg)
![Fluorite, Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-122826a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-122826a.jpg)
![Fluorite, Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-122826b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-122826b.jpg)
![Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-130038a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-130038a.jpg)
![Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-130038b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-130038b.jpg)
![Spessartine, Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz), Feldspar Group from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-130903a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-130903a.jpg)
![Spessartine, Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz), Feldspar Group from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-130903b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-130903b.jpg)
![Spessartine, Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz) from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-131698a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-131698a.jpg)
![Spessartine, Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz) from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-131698b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-131698b.jpg)
![Spessartine from Marienfluss, Kunene Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-131712a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-131712a.jpg)
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![Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-132069b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-132069b.jpg)
![Helvite, Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-133775a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-133775a.jpg)
![Helvite, Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-133775b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-133775b.jpg)
![Spessartine, Quartz from Marienfluss, Kunene Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-134830a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-134830a.jpg)